Baltimore doom rockers Gateway to Hell make a raucous entry on July 21 with their five-track Clovers EP. The band, currently comprised of vocalist Jerrod Sydnor, guitarist Alex Briscoe, bassist Eric Smythe and drummer Dan Petruccelli, have aligned with Unholy Anarchy Records for the release, which marks their most substantial outing to-date behind their 2014 demo and the subsequent digital-single “Scorched Earth,” which also appears on Clovers as the finale of the ultra-manageable 22-minute run. From the start of the opening title-track (posted here), Gateway to Hell demonstrate a keen sonic blend somewhere between trad metal, doom, burly Southern heavy and — because why not? — sludge, but the material comes tied together through a steady purpose of songcraft and structure, and goes out of its way to create an album-style flow as “Clovers” moves through “Tin Roof,” centerpiece “The Drizzard,” the acoustic interlude “Rain for Days” and the aforementioned capstone.

The interlude is of particular note, and not just because it is well-placed ahead of “Scorched Earth.” By including even just a sub-two-minute number of layered acoustic plucking, Gateway to Hell — grim in moniker but ultimately more varied in execution and less outwardly abrasive than one might think based on that — signal an intent toward future progression of sound, and I wouldn’t be surprised to find them either adding vocals to something similar (Sydnor could carry an acoustic-backed melody, easily) or working in acoustic layers to a harder-hitting song their next time out. Point is they’re setting themselves up for growth, which is never a bad thing, and they do so amid the thrust of “Tin Roof” and the crisp groove of “The Drizzard”; already showcasing a grip on where they want to be in terms of delivery. I thought on my initial listen to “Clovers” that the balance of the mix was off in putting the vocals too far forward, but to listen again, I’m ready to revise my position. May have just been whatever speakers I had it on the first time through. Certainly by the time “Tin Roof” and “The Drizzard” give way to “Rain for Days” and “Scorched Earth,” if there was an issue at all, it’s no longer a factor.

As you make your way through the track premiere below, pay specific attention to the atmosphere the song conjures — dark and heavy, but still given to motion and created not through self-indulgent flourish but through solid and traditional songwriting and a well-conveyed sense of direction. That holds true for the entirety of Clovers and is among the factors that most bodes well for Gateway to Hell as they move ahead toward their inevitable first full-length.

Unholy Anarchy has preorders up now for Clovers ahead of the July 21 release. That info, more background and some word directly from the band follow the premiere itself, which you’ll find immediately following.

Please enjoy:

Gateway to Hell on “Tin Roof”:

“Tin Roof” is our take on the dread conjured every time you turn on the TV news or pick up a newspaper. There’s an overwhelming sense that society as we know it is on a downward curve and that the ones up top are just completely oblivious as the world crumbles around them.

The title is a shout-out to “Love Shack” by the B-52s. We felt the pause in the song would be the perfect opportunity for Cindy Wilson to belt out the “tin roof, rusted!” from “Love Shack,” so “Tin Roof” was what we named the early demo tracks and it just stuck. We felt it fit thematically — years of neglecting the simple upkeep leading to a full collapse of the house.

This song is about as political as we’ll ever get but we tried to be careful not to be too specific, as there’s nothing more boring than when a singer sounds like they are reading from a newspaper. As always, the riff comes first…

Clovers will come available digitally and on limited edition vinyl July 21 in three color variations (orange/pink merge, clear with blue splatter, and standard black) via Unholy Anarchy Records. Preorders are currently availableRIGHT HERE.

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 6th, 2017 at 10:32 am and is filed under audiObelisk.
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